Ant McPartlin's Childhood TV Debut Features Adorable Cooking Demo
In a charming throwback to 1988, television personality Ant McPartlin showcased his early presenting talents by demonstrating how to make a 'Sweet Fried Egg' on the BBC children's programme Why Don't You...?. At just 12 years old, the now 50-year-old ITV star appeared confident in front of the camera, even without his longtime co-host Declan Donnelly, with whom he would later form a partnership on Byker Grove in 1989.
Archive Clip Reveals Ant's Culinary Creativity
The archived footage, recently shared on the BBC's Instagram account, captures Ant wearing an oversized sweatshirt emblazoned with his name. Standing behind a table with ingredients neatly arranged, he enthusiastically explained the recipe to viewers. Ant clarified, 'This is a recipe for Sweet Fried Eggs and the funny thing is, it has nothing to do with eggs.'
He detailed the steps: 'What you do is get your slices of Swiss Rolls and then put marmalade on, dollop it on top like that, you're supposed to use jam but I don't like it.' The young presenter then added whipped cream, exclaiming, 'Then put your cream, which is my best bit, go mad with it.' To complete the dish, he placed a giant peach on top to represent the egg yolk, suggesting extra cream if desired, before concluding, 'There you have it that's your sweet fried egg. I'm eating mine now me.'
BBC Highlights Ant's Humble Beginnings
The BBC captioned the clip, noting that while Ant is now a ubiquitous figure on British television, everyone must start somewhere. The series Why Don't You...? often featured games and recipes submitted by its young audience, and on this day in 1988, 12-year-old Ant demonstrated the Sweet Fried Eggs recipe without restraint, particularly with the squirty cream.
From Childhood Demo to Modern Cooking Ventures
Ant has recently revisited the culinary world by co-hosting a digital cooking series with Dec called Taste Mates, where the duo prepares and reviews various fun recipes. This return to the kitchen coincides with heartfelt reflections from both Ant and Dec on fatherhood, which they describe as their greatest achievement.
Ant and Dec Open Up About Fatherhood Regrets
In a recent episode of their podcast Hanging Out With Ant & Dec, the pair expressed regrets about not having children earlier in life. Dec shared, 'it's the best thing ever. I wish I'd done it earlier and I wish I'd had ten,' before joking, 'maybe not ten. Maybe three.' Ant, who welcomed his son Wilder with wife Anne-Marie Corbett in May 2024 and is stepfather to her two teenage daughters, agreed, stating, 'I've got three and I'd have more.'
Ant elaborated on his experiences, saying, 'It is the best, the absolute best being a dad. And I was lucky enough to be stepdad to my girls a few years before my son was born.' He praised the immediate feedback from his stepdaughters and the joy of experiencing baby and toddler stages with Wilder, calling it 'the best of both worlds.' He emphasized that despite sleepless nights and tiredness, fatherhood 'changes you for the better' and surpasses any professional achievements.
Dec echoed these sentiments, labeling parenthood as 'our biggest achievement.' He reflected, 'When they first come along, you don't realise how much they change your life, but for the better, the absolute better. And it's almost like when they do come along, you've discovered the meaning of life.' Dec also shared his initial worries about loving his second child as much as his first, realizing that love doubles rather than divides.
